Fruit carrier



mu 9 1923.. L470,334

c. P. STENSGAARD ET A.

- FRUIT CARRIER- Filed July 10 1922 STATES eonaan r. e'rnneemnn AND ROBERT L., awesome, for Pomona, ennrromzm.

FRUIT GARRIEE.

Application filed July 1a, was. Serlell'ie. mares.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that we, CoNnAn P. SrnNscanes and Bonner L. S'rnNsoAAnn, citizens ot the United States of America, and residents at Pomona, in the county of Los Angeles and State of Calitornimhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit Carriers, of which the tollowing is a specification.

This invention appertains to certain improvements in fruit carriers of that type which are suspended from the body of the person, for use i'npicking fruit, gathering vegetables and for transporting and delivering the same, as well as for other similar uses. A carrier made in accord with this invention is of such shape as to provide a concave side, COIIWBX ends and front, such re ceptacle having at the ends, hooks, and rearward thereof and adjacent to the lower edge, suspension means for attachment thereto ot a flexible neck and shoulder sling, there being also present, a hitch strap which in use will extend about the waistline of the user. The receptacle is provided with a. bottom which in practice is held in hinged engagementwith the lower portion of said receptacle, the bottom being held in closed position by means of a flexible connection which is appropriately arranged to maintain the bottom in closed position.

This invention comprises a receptacle that is shaped to conformto the contour of the body of the user from which it is suspended by means of a neck and shoulder suspension strap which has fixed points of connection at the rear lower ends of the sides of the receptacle, such suspension strap engaging with hooks attached to the receptacle, from which the suspension strap may be disen-' gaged to admit of the receptacle being turned to discharge the contents thereof.

The invention further consists in providing a receptacle with a shoulder suspension strap and a second trap designated as a hitch strap, the purpose of which is to keep proper balance of the receptacle when the user leans forward.

The invention further consists in providing the receptacle with a bottom that is hinged thereto, and with means for holding the bottom is closed position, which bottom is preferably divided longitudinally and hinged to opposite sides of the receptacle, the bottom being held ,in a closed position by a flexible connection toprovide for a partial separation to vary the discharge opening, I

A device made in accordance with this invention is primarily designed for use in gathering fruits, such as peaches, apricots, plums, apples, etc., and for such purposes, a hinged bottom preferably divided is used. -Where the device is used for gathering citrous fruits, such as lemons, oranges, etc., a hinged and non-divided bottom is deemed sufiicient, and for other uses, a rigid or fixed bottom may be used, and the receptacle will be unloaded in such instance by dumping. 1

in the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a carrier shown applied;

Figure 2 illustrates a side elevation;

Figure 3 illustrates a top plan view;

l djigure 4: illustrates a bottom plan view; an

Figure 5 illustrates atragmentary transverse section.

Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates the body portion of a receptacle which has a substantially straight and downward in clined front, convex ends which extend Irom the front and merge into the rear wall which is concave. The body portion of the receptacle is usually made of a single piece of sheet metal, the upper and lower edges thereof being upset to contain a reinforcing wire, and connected to the lower portion of the body 10, is a bottom 11. As shown particularly by the plan views 3 and 4:, the body is tapered from the bottom upward, except at the rear concave portion, such shape providing for nesting the receptacle in packing, one of the receptacles being placed with in the other for shipping; .further, the flare of the. front is desirable in providing proper equilibrium of the receptacle in use with the suspension means to be hereinafter described. r

The body 10 has attached thereto, loops which are secured to the ends thereof at distances slightly above the lower edge and about'on a line with the center of the inward extending concave center portion of the body, and to these loops 12 are attached D rings 13, .or other appropriate means for connecting flexible connections thereto. The receptacle is also provided with hooks 14, the loop portions thereof being positioned forward of the vertical center of the receptacle till and considerably above its transverse center. The loops and hooks are preferably secured in place b rivets. The loops 13 are usually enga 'ed y ends of straps 15 that have buck cs 16 for enga ement'with a shoulder strap or sling 17, t e terminals 18 thereof havin the usual line of perforations to provide for adjustment. In connection with the suspending means, waist or hitch straps 19-19 are provided, havin end rings 20, one of the straps having auckle which is engaged b the othemend of the strap; the function of the waist strap or hitch is to keep the receptacle in balance, articularly when the person using the same eans forward.

In operation, the structure herein described is shaped and suspended to maintain proper balance in filling the same and when it is desired to empty the receptacle, the suspension strap is disconnected from the hooks, .which ermits the receptacle to tilt forward to disc arge its contents into a suitable receiver. If only one of the suspension straps is unhooked, the receptacle will assume a sition which is slightly inclined from the li rizontal so that the discharge may be toward one of the ends of the receptacle, and when the suspension. straps are 'released from both of the hooks, the receptacle will turn so as to discharge the entire contents. By the arrangement shown, it is possible for the person carryin the receptacle to provide a minimum dlscharge of the contents,

rather than a simultaneous'emptying of the receptacle which would tend to bruise the fruit, by subjecting the same to impacts greater than their own weight.

A receptacle constructed and provided with carrying means, as heretofore set forth in a preferred form, has a centrally divided bottom, as shown by the drawings exclusive of Fi 2, the bottom comprising sections 20 and 21 which are attached to the receptacle by hinges 22, the bottom pieces having on their under sides in line with their meeting edges, centrally located blocks 23 and 24,, and to the rear side of the receptacle, means are provided for attaching thereto one end of a flexible connection 25 that is of suflicient length to extend under the bottom, upward and over the front for engagement with a ring 26 attached to the upper front edge of the receptacle, and when in engage. ment therewith it serves to hold the bottom closed. The blocks 23 and 24 engage the strap or flexible connection 25, which in practice, may be provided with a snap hook 27. The user, by gradually releasing the hinged bottom sections, can regulate the discharge of the contents of the rece tacle.

In Fig. 2, we have shown a mo ified form of bottom which, in this instance, is made of a single piece which is hinged to the rear of the receptacle, and the lower end of the flexible connection 25 is attached to the bottom at a forward central point. In this modification and in the form showing the divided bottom, the bottom, when released, provides inclined planes upon which the fruit may roll.-

The uses of the structure are numerous and are not limited to. those herein mentioned, and the size and proportions may be varied, as well as the arrangement of parts, and the novel features of the invention will be articularly pointed out in the claims.

e claim:

1. In a device of the character set forth,

points of suspension located to one side of the vertical center thereof and adjacent to its lower edge, and on opposite sides of said vertical center and on a higher plane, projecting means with which the suspending means may be caused to engage to maintain the receptacle in position for use.

2. In a device of the character set forth,

a receptacle havin at each end, means for connecting the ends of a suspending loop therefrom, said means being located adjacent to the lower and rear portions of the receptacle, hooks attached to the ends of the receptacle on opposite sides of the vertical longitudinalcenter thereof, and at a greater distance from the bottom, combined for use with flexible suspending means, each end of which engages both of said elements to main tain the receptacle upright, and when re leased will permit the front of the receptacle to assume a downward inclined position;

3. In combination with a receptacle, harness therefor, comprising a suspending loop and a waist band, said receptacle having means,for connecting the ends of the suspending loop with its rear lower ends, hooks attached to the receptacle and positioned to eifect a bend in the suspending loop when sub'ected to strain and when in engagement wit said hooks.

CONRAD P. STENSGAARD. ROBERT L. STENSGAARD. 

